Micromax launches A30 Smarty 3.0 dual-SIM Android phone for Rs. 3,849

Micromax A30 Smarty 3.0 specifications

3-inch TFT (240x320 pixels) 256k colour capacitive touch display
832MHz Broadcom Processor
256MB RAM
512 MB internal storage expandable up to 32GB via micro SD
2-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash
3G HSDPA (7.2 Mbps), Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, Micro-USB
Dual-SIM (GSM + GSM) with dual standby
1500 mAh battery
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

Intex launches Aqua Flash and Aqua Trendy dual-SIM Android phones in India

Intex had announced its plans to launch five new phones by October 2012 in the under 10K segment. The company is lagging behind but the effort continues. After launching the Aqua 4.0 and the Aqua 3.2 dual-SIM Android phones last year, now the company has introduced the Aqua Flash and Aqua Trendy budget Android phones for Rs. 9,500 and Rs. 4,900 respectively.

Intex Aqua Flash key specifications

4.3-inch (800x480 Pixels) Capacitive multi-touch Touch display
1GHz dual-core processor
External storage expansion upto 32GB via microSD card
8-megapixel rear camera with dual LED Flash
1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS
Dual-SIM (GSM + GSM)
2,100 mAh battery
Android 4.0

Intex Aqua Trendy specifications

3.5 inch (320x480 pixels) capacitive multi-touch display
1GHz dual-core processor
Expandable storage up to 32GB with microSD
3.2-megapixel rear camera
1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
2G EDGE/GPRS, WiFi,Bluetooth
Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM)
FM Radio and sound recorder
1,400 mAh battery
Android 2.3

Google Chrome Camera App – Chromebook Giveaway

The most recent release of the Chrome OS from Google now features an integrated camera application. Now that alone doesn’t make waves when one considers that OSX has had such functionality for some time now. What sets Chrome apart is that it uses HTML5 primarily (along with JavaScript and CSS) to deliver a camera experience that matches Photobooth.
Whats different about this app is that it was developed by a third-party, a firm called Telerik. In development, the company used a front-end framework called Kendu UI and Google’s still wet behind the ears Packaged Apps Platform that enable engineers to develop applications for Google Chrome. Apparently Telerik worked very closely with to develop an application that can be effectively used as a reference application for engineers who want to write advanced apps. This would be utilized with the Packaged Apps platform and the Kendu User Interface Libraries. For the reason that this is all still fairly new, the two companies will host a webinar with the subject of how to build packaged applications with the Kendo User Interface as it’s theme. This will go down on Wednesday, December 5^th at 2p.m. Eastern Standard. As a special treat they are going to give away 10 Google Chromebooks.
As for the camera application, it offers some nice photo features like mirror, bulge and pinch. It has some neat features like face recognition and some custom effects. For the reason that this app was developed with native properties it can be accessed whether on or offline. Though the app has a web backend, it still functions just like your typical desktop app, which is nice.

PlayJam GameStick brings Android Gaming to your TV (video)

PlayJam is going beyond its smart TV consoles with their new GameStick, a TV-based system that fits into a shell not much bigger than a typical flash drive. It’s actually tiny enough that the finished version should stow inside its own Bluetooth gamepad and draw power from the HDMI port. The Jelly Bean system’s dual-core Amlogic processor isn’t as powerful as a Tegra 3, but it should also lead to a slightly more affordable price at $79 price.

PlayJam’s is a crowd-funding project. The company says it needs $100,000 to go through its last development hurdles and ship the production GameStick in April.

Is a Smart TV Worth Your Money?

There are a number of choices you make when it comes to viewing what you want on your television. Along with cable, satellite, and TV boxes, there’s one newcomer that should be considered: Smart TVs. This relatively new technology comes at a price, and it remains to be seen how they will continue to evolve.

Smart TVs: Advantages and Disadvantages

Wouldn’t it be great to check your email on your TV? TVs can now stream content, plus deliver email and social media notifications. Smart TVs are an all-in-one device, removing the need for other components. The convenience of a Smart TV is a plus and its intuitive programming is helpful for people who aren’t tech-savvy. However, there are some notable disadvantages that make the case for avoiding smart TVs.

Price: Expect to pay a bit more for the “smart” part of the TV. Also, if your Internet connection is limited, you might have data allotments to worry about.
Complexity: As a sort of electronic Murphy’s Law, the more complex something is, the worse things will be when it breaks. You could be at the mercy of the manufacturer for updates.
Content: According to MarketingWeek, it’s not the technology creating separation – it’s the content. Some smart TVs are outmatched by alternatives.
Security: The leads in web-connected TVs are prone to viruses, scams and bot campaigns. As ZDNet writer Ellyne Phneah observes, smart TVs are at the forefront of a “new Web threat frontier.” Manufacturers that don’t offer security updates could put their customers at risk.

Smart Alternatives

If you’re looking to save money, there are plenty of alternative options for web-capable TVs. You certainly don’t need a smart TV to get the functions it offers.
Many consumers enjoy HD cable and satellite offerings from their provider. Providers such as Cable.tv, Cox, and Comcast provide a wide range of high definition TV and movie channel packages. Offering better picture quality than HD cable, with most movies in 1080p HD, satellite providers provide an alternative that can be superior to services like Netflix or Hulu.
Another popular alternative to a smart TV is a TV box. These devices have HD cable and satellite-quality pictures that work well for streaming content. Many gaming consoles and other TV boxes serve the same function as a smart TV.
BusinessInsider.com’s Kevin Smith cites the following devices as major industry contenders:

Roku
Apple TV
Nexus Q
Boxee
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
Google TV

For a lower overall price, you can enjoy streaming media the same way you would with a smart TV. The market is filled with impressive options that give any television a boost, without the need for a new TV.

The Bottom Line

While Smart TVs offer many interesting perks, it is up to you to decide if it is worth the price. Powerful content subscriptions and TV boxes offer a lot to compete with this new trend in television viewing technology.

Ematic FunTab Family range unveiled

by Edwin - on January 14th, 2013

I know, the dust of CES 2013 has already settled, and most folks are home square and free from the mad house that is known as Las Vegas, but there were tons of other devices that we have yet to cover, so I will try my level best to bring out what I think is still noteworthy to mention. Case in point, the Ematic FunTab Family range that comprises of a series of child-friendly tablets which will be made available in a quartet of different sizes and styles, where all of them share a single mission – to make sure your kids have a unique and safe online experience for education and entertainment purposes, and to be able to enjoy doing so without having them spoil your precious iPad. The Ematic FunTab Family range is the result of the creative minds at Ematic who worked hand in hand with the award-winning Zoodles Kid Mode.
You can safely say that the children’s tablets on the market is a maturing one at the moment, but the folks over at Ematic intend to offer parents a platform which creates a safe haven for kids to learn and play. The four tablets in the FunTab Family are the FunTab Pro, FunTab, FunTab XL and FunTab Mini, where all of them will run on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, and will also feature games and other “specials” to keep your child busy for hours. Sounds like the ideal tool to have behind the car when you are off on a long road trip, no?
Some of the new features included on the tablets are Interactive Story Books and Art Studio, while the little photocopies of yourself can also use the Video Mail function in order to send video messages to grandparents and other relatives. Some of the more popular games of the day include Angry Birds, Where’s My Water?, and Cut the Rope among others, and it comes with a rubberized grip that is ideal for active children on the go.
The FunTab XL, FunTab Mini, FunTab and FunTab Pro will retail for $149.99, $59.99, $119.99 and $149.99, respectively.

ChargeCard…Literally

Anyone who goes travels – whether across the globe or across town – knows the importance of keeping chargers on the ready. You never know when you may have a few seconds to charge up. Keeping the cables organized is a different story though. Personally, my travel bag always resembles a hornets nest. Between cables and headphones. Bleeeech! It’s a mess. And gosh forbid you are totally on the go and don’t have a place to put a cable. Some smart folks in California took a look at this very dilemma and came up with a perfect solution that received some attention at CES last week.
Meet ChargeCard, a compact USB charger that fits virtually anywhere in your life. These card sized units, available for iPhone 4 or 5 and in micro USB, fit in places as small as your wallet. When you need to charge find a USB port pull back the rubber tongue and plug in. Then plug the adapter into your phone or device. The USB plug snaps back into place when done charging. It functions just like any other USB cable so yes, you can sync too. As simple as the concept may seem, ChargeCard is apparently something that we all need as the project received plenty of CES press and tripled their Kickstarter goal last summer. Sometimes some of the simplest gadgets are the most helpful though! Pick up your own ChargeCard in black or white for $25. Tweet about ChargeCard and get a discount too. And leave the manic charging and crazy cable blues behind.

Panasonic 20-inch Tablet with 20-inch 4k IPS Alpha LCD Panel

Remember the first time when you laid your eyes on the iPad with Retina Display? Surely the difference was obvious when you laid it side by side with the first generation iPad and the vanilla version of the iPad 2, but when it comes to resolution count and pixel density on tablets, Panasonic has got everyone beat this CES. Granted, toting around Panasonic’s 20” tablet is not going to be the most enjoyable of tasks for road warriors, but when you consider how it weighs as much as a standard notebook (not an Ultrabook, mind you) at just 2.4kg, you would sing a different tune and say that the 20” is a sheer marvel in engineering.

Just in case you were wondering what kind of resolution the 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD panel packs, we are talking about 4K (Ultra HD) resolution. If you were to whip your calculator out and perform some mathematical equations, your mind would be blown away – 4K resolution is more than four times the resolution of Full High Definition, and when you accompany that with a high precision digital pen, you have more or less got yourself a new winner here, hands down.
Just in case you were wondering what kind of resolution the 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD panel packs, we are talking about 4K (Ultra HD) resolution. If you were to whip your calculator out and perform some mathematical equations, your mind would be blown away – 4K resolution is more than four times the resolution of Full High Definition, and when you accompany that with a high precision digital pen, you have more or less got yourself a new winner here, hands down.
With a pixel density of 230 pixels per inch and a unique aspect ratio of 15:10, it is capable of displaying an A3-size paper in almost full size, and thanks to the unique pen peripheral that it comes with, it enables natural handwriting on the tablet. Surely one needs to fork out a handsome sum to bring this 20-inch 4k IPS Alpha LCD Panel home?